My Experience with De la Gente

My experience with De la Gente has been beautiful and I can’t summarize only in two or three words. Since the first day that I arrived I was excited to know this Organization works and of course I was excited about the idea of to learn every day. I have learned many things but one of the things that I’ll take away from this experience is that you always must be evaluating your work, if there is something to change, to improve, we need to do so and always keep good communication.

Lola with the team at De la Gente

The things that I most liked about this experience are when I accompanied the groups or volunteers to different places for tours, visits in the hotels and restaurants. It didn’t seem like a work but was more like a fun learning experience for me and since most don’t speak Spanish and I had to speak to them in English and that was very nice for me because I practiced my English a lot. The day we visited the volcano Pacaya was my favorite because that was my first time that I climbed that volcano and it was very exciting for me to arrive at the top of observe a panoramic view. I liked the details that the guide added to our tour about the plant’s names and their uses, seeing the craft shops and roasting marshmallows in the lava cave was awesome, is a beautiful memory.

My plans when I return to Santiago Atitlan, well I have a lot plans, but the one that stands out most for me is to improve my will to work hard. I will always keep me with my positive attitude, continue my search job opportunities and share my experience with my associates beginning in Starfish and with my colleagues at Mayan Life. I am excited to present my ideas of innovation and of course share my experience with them.

Lola with other young entrepreneurs presenting her business idea in Chajul Quiche, Guatemala.

I thinking a month ago about what advice I would have for other young women from Guatemala especially those who are entrepreneurial and this is the moment this is what I want to share with them…

First, challenge yourself. For example, I use the challenges for self-motivation. For me the best challenges are that I give me myself.

Work on what is important to you or in what you love to do.

Believe in yourself, have a vision, find good people, face your fear. I know that overcoming fear is not easy but it is something that you must do.

Have patience, no success is immediate and we’re all just starting out.

Known your goals because this assures that you are working to achieve them and learn from your mistakes.

Build a good team. No one triumphs in business alone and build a support network to help you achieve success. The best way to form a great team is to contract personalities and values. You can train someone to develop good skills, but you can’t make a person adopt values if theirs don’t match yours or the value of your business, and that can make it very difficult to get good work done.

To be a successful entrepreneur or to run a business well, you need time and a lot patience, this it goes for my team Mayan Life Travel too and I hope that they read this because is necessary to do this to be a good person, start a business and have success.

I hope that my advice can help others, this is what I use as my guide because I too am a young woman from Guatemala, only life has provided me many opportunities to discover new things and create positive changes within myself. Take advantage of all opportunities to learn from others as well as it is important to learn from yourself.

During a workshop at Starfish

All of this experience and positive change in myself is thanks to Starfish for giving me this opportunity for me to learn through workshops and trainings, and instill these values that have been very useful in my life like perseverance, respect, responsibility, work ethic and to work in a team that shares these values is key for me to be successful. I am so appreciative of Starfish and De La Gente too for including me in their activities during the months that I was with them. I am so thankful for all staff from De La Gente and so happy to meet them and that from them I met to other wonderful people and they all already have a space in my heart.